The success we had this season was a great experience and truly a lot of fun to go through.  It really was the result of several years of different events.  Three years ago our assistant coach Jon Davy came to the program and brought a different mentality and level of discipline to the team that was not there before.  He is extremely knowledgeable about the game and along with his no-nonsense character he helped to direct and shape our team.  Another key part of our success was that there were around ten players that transferred out of the program for different reasons, since my freshmen year, but those that stayed truly were committed to both the program and the coaching staff.  Our defensive style of play is something that turns a lot of players away.  So once all those that were constantly fighting the coaches or each other were gone, the new team was able to come together and find its new identity.

 

Our previous two seasons were mediocre, at best, but with each game and season there was improvement.  Last season we started out extremely strong but due to lack of experience and some injuries we didn’t qualify for our conference tournament.  In the off season we worked extremely hard and became determined to have a more successful fall season.  This past season up until the post-season was very inconsistent.  We had some tough losses to Maine, Sienna and Temple, but were able to beat tournament teams in St. Louis, Dartmouth and Vermont.  We knew we were a capable team but just needed to find some consistency.

 

At halftime of our first conference championship game we were down a goal but went into the locker room fired up were able to come out and play one of the best halves we had played all season and win in penalties.  From then on we played with a different level of intensity and focused on one game at a time. We found something in us that had been missing and really came together because we knew exactly what we wanted.  Winning the Atlantic 10 conference was an incredible feeling especially since we beat two teams that we had previously lost to in the regular season.  We were able to ride and build on the momentum going in to the NCAA tournament knowing that we were not playing with any pressure on us other than what we placed on ourselves.  Our second round game against BC at their place was the most challenging.  We knew they had a key injury but because of our program’s history and their recent ACC championship they would be overlooking us.  We went into the game with the mentality that we knew anything could happen.  We were excited to have the opportunity to play the number one seed in the tournament and welcomed the opportunity to potentially upset them.  We were losing one to zero at half and again were able to come together during halftime and go on to play the best soccer we had played all year and score two goals.  It really was the highlight of our tournament run. We were able to control parts of the game and fortunately continued to get set pieces.  We scored both of our goals off of corner kicks and sheer determination to get the ball in the back of the net any way possible.  Our next two games were extremely difficult and we were just as lucky as deserving to get two wins. The field was a frozen tundra and we had to wear turfs because with cleats you could not get enough traction.  The home crowd certainly helped and they set records for attendance at Rudd Field.

 

Getting to the college cup was more than a dream to most of the team because it was truly something that none of us really ever considered possible. There are very few athletic programs that get to experience the atmosphere and the achievement of a national semi-final and for us to be there and in the company of a select group was an overwhelming feeling.  The facility was tremendous, the surface was pristine and the crowd was the largest we had ever played in front of.  We had good hard practices leading up to the Ohio State game and felt prepared and focused.  We just looked at it as another game and another chance to prove ourselves.  The game obviously did not turn out the way we hoped but I was pleased with our effort and although I feel we did not play our best soccer, Ohio State was a very talented and physical team and made things very difficult for us.

 

Looking back, I see our run to the final four as a whirlwind.  I was just caught up in the excitement and the feeling of having every game potentially be my last.  Our team chemistry was incredible and every player just found their role on the field.  Each person was willing to cover, direct and take direction from every other person and being on the field together was a joy. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before and something that I will not soon forget.

 

-Chris Brown